


Something Solid

by luxrayed



Series: A Ghost Like You [1]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon, Canon Compliant, Gen, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, No Incest, No Smut, Reader is a ghost, Reader is gender neutral, Spoilers, The Umbrella Academy (TV) Season 2 Spoilers, The Umbrella Academy (TV) Spoilers, you are a ghost
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:01:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26685580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luxrayed/pseuds/luxrayed
Summary: He was different from the usual people around here, and definitely seemed interesting enough, so you floated across the road. You noticed a ghost trailing along behind him. He was tall as well, wearing all black, and seemed more conscious than most other ghosts you'd encountered since you died.
Relationships: Ben Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Ben Hargreeves/Reader
Series: A Ghost Like You [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1941871
Comments: 11
Kudos: 47





	Something Solid

**Author's Note:**

> CONTEXT: reader is a ghost, also gender-neutral!  
> this takes place when klaus & ben arrive in 1960, at the start of season 2!  
> i literally woke up with this idea today and just HAD to write it!! also I adore ben so,,,, yknow  
> i have plans for at least two more parts to this series so let me know if you would be interested in that!  
> \--------

You'd spent most of your day floating around the streets of Dallas, just people watching. You thought you should probably leave soon, find a different town or city; things were getting a bit samey here. Everyone wore similar outfits, spoke in similar voices, and had similar routines.

You wondered where you'd head next. South maybe, towards the coast? Or you could go to New York. There was bound to be an abundance of interesting people there! But probably also more disgusting ghosts; ones that had been run over, or stabbed to death, or other gruesome murders. Other ghosts weren't very talkative either. Most of them were obsessed with their deaths and revenge, or had gone insane a long time ago.

You wondered if you'd end up like that someday, and promised yourself that you'd move on at even the slightest hint of losing your mind; or your humanity. 

You were interrupted from your pondering by a tall man on the other side of the street, wearing a green vest jacket and tight trousers that were laced up the side. He was different from the usual people around here, and definitely seemed interesting enough, so you floated across the road. You noticed a ghost trailing along behind him. He was tall as well, wearing all black, and seemed more conscious than most other ghosts you'd encountered since you died. There was no physical evidence that you could see to explain how he'd died. You couldn't see yourself in a mirror, but you assumed that you had bruises covering your neck. Most ghosts stayed how they looked when they had died, so why did this one seem so… clean? 

"I think the question is  _ when _ are we…?" The ghost was walking backwards after the man, staring at his surroundings. It was surprisingly common for ghosts to forget the date, even the year, still being stuck at the moment of their death for some reason.

You drifted lazily up to him, "1960, and he can't hear you," you glanced up the road to where the odd man was trying to bother some passersby, "You're dead, you know." Your own wording made you flinch. That wasn't very tactful of you, but you'd gathered that it was easier for new ghosts to move on once they'd realised. The ghost narrowed his deep brown eyes at you then ran up to the other man. 

"Klaus! We're in 1960!" He told him. You sighed and rolled lazily in mid-air so you were floating on your back. He'd just have to learn the hard way, you figured, and that could end badly. He seemed conscious enough for now, but those were the ones that usually spiralled the most when they realised their dead state-of-being. 

You didn't know why you seemed to be the only lucid, self-aware ghost. You actually quite liked being a ghost; it was nice being able to walk through walls, and spy on people without risking being spotted. You were rather nosey now that there were no consequences. And, of course, floating around was much more exciting than actually walking, and you were going to make the most of it! 

Of course, it would be nice to have someone to speak with, but you'd always been a bit of a lone-wolf anyways; much more of a listener than a talker. Although, 3 months alone could have changed that, but you hadn't really considered it until now. This new ghost, dressed in all black and determined to communicate with the living, was surprisingly cute, and it'd be a shame when he inevitably lost his humanity and sense of self. 

You absolutely weren't expecting the man - Klaus? - to respond to the ghost. If you breathed you would have choked on air. 

"Ohh shit-sticks, 1960??" The alive man shouted, "How'd you figure that one out, Benny?" The ghost nodded his head in your direction and Klaus turned to look at you. Not through you,  _ at you _ . You promptly fell to the ground and smacked the back of your head off the pavement. Thank God ghosts don't feel pain. 

You scrambled to your non-existent feet and trailed after the two strange men. You couldn't hear their conversation and you couldn't figure out  _ how  _ they were speaking to each other. Also, neither of them had seemed surprised about it, so you figured they must have been in contact for a while. But how was that possible? And… Why didn't they know the year? 

You were once again lost in your thoughts when you floated through the man, causing him to shudder, and smacked face-first into the ghost - Benny?

"Shit. Sorry.." you muttered, glancing at them both. Klaus seemed to be avoiding looking at you. Benny, however, had his eyebrow raised and looked unimpressed. Jesus. The first person who could see ghosts, and the first ghost who actually seemed to have it together, and you'd managed to instantly piss them both off. 

"Well I'm gonna go in here-" Klaus looked at Benny and gestured at the diner you were standing outside of, "-and get me some food. You can stay out here and… deal with… this," he swiped a tattooed hand through your face without even glancing at you, and sauntered into the diner. You frowned after him then turned to the other ghost. 

"Jeez Benny, what's his problem?" You crossed your arms, and folded your legs under you, hovering about 5 feet above the ground. 

"It's just Ben, " he was looking down at you so you tried to float a little bit higher, "And you can't stay here. He's not going to solve your death, or avenge you, or fulfil your last wishes. And he's not going to help you move on, so just…" He made a shooing motion at you and you rolled your eyes in response. 

"My murderer is already dead, and I can move on whenever I want, thank you very much." You resisted the urge to stick your tongue out at him. 

"Okay," Ben said slowly, "Well you can't talk to him anyway." He put his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket and straightened his shoulders a bit more, trying to subtly shuffle in between you and the door to the diner. It was quite endearing, how protective he was of Klaus. You wondered how they knew each other. Were they close before? Ben was watching you carefully and you stared back at him. 

_ (Gosh he was beautiful)  _

You uncrossed your arms to prop your elbows on your knees, supporting your chin with your hands, so you could lean closer to his face. 

"What if i wanted to talk to you?" You did; Klaus seemed too flighty and dismissive for your liking - he reminded you too much of yourself, back when you were alive. Plus, Ben intrigued you. It was strange for another ghost to be paying you attention, let alone be talking about something  _ other _ than their own death. You wanted to know how long he'd been around, and how he'd managed to keep himself together. 

The corner of Ben's mouth twitched slightly as confusion crossed his face, which was quickly replaced by disbelief. Knowing what other ghosts were like -  _ "help me, you have to help me, you have to save me, me me me me"  _ \- you didn't blame him for doubting you. You considered inching closer to make him uncomfortable - when you were alive you'd enjoyed making people uncomfortable - but decided against it, figuring that it wouldn't help your case. 

Instead, you settled for your most sincere face, and widest eyes, "I'm serious. Other ghosts are  _ assholes _ ." Ben nodded to agree with the statement and chuckled slightly, clearly trying to stop the grin that was threatening to spread across his face. He had a stunning smile. 

"Fine." 

You whooped and did the most carefree mid-air backflip you could, without kicking him in the face. 

"Well then, Ben," you grinned widely at him, "My name's (Y/N)." You held your hand out for him to shake, and he took it. If you'd needed to breathe, you would have gasped at the feeling of touching something solid. It surprised you that it only took 3 months to forget how that felt. 

It was only a few moments of smiling at each other before you were rudely interrupted by Klaus getting thrown out of the diner.

“Don’t come back ‘til you can pay your damn bill!” The manager tossed Klaus straight onto the pavement, where he was helped up by an old woman. You hadn’t seen her before, but she definitely looked rich. Klaus seemed to have the same thought as he allowed the woman to link arms with him, and lead him down the street.

“Seriously, Klaus?” Ben deadpanned, honestly looking a bit disgusted. You, however, couldn’t stop laughing. No wonder Ben felt like he had to protect Klaus from the dead, if this was how he acted with the living. 

Klaus barely spared Ben a glance as he walked past.

“Come on then,” Ben said and grabbed your hand as he began following them. You weren’t sure why he walked everywhere, maybe he was still attached to the idea of being alive.

“Thank God I’ve got no plans today!” You sang out, then giggled to yourself, and drifted after your new ghostie friend.

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you liked this please let me know if you might be interested in the other two parts, which will follow the time between 1960-1963, then will meet up with canon  
> ALSO if you would like a 'prequel', I have it all planned out to explain how you/reader died, how they're a ghost, and why they're so lucid and act the way they/you do. also the ins and outs of ghostiness, floating, and awareness of other ghosts etc. i really got carried away in planning this haha so let me know if you would also be interested in that :)  
> thank you for reading!!! <3


End file.
